2 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Is a junior chemistry teacher not trying to profit off of 16 year olds? They're taking home a salary earned by teaching 16 year olds. Is that any different from a media member taking home a salary from reporting or covering a game played by 16 year olds?

Is a business selling high school spirit wear not trying to profit off of 16 year olds? Does Jostens not try to profit off of 16 year olds with their sales of yearbooks and class rings? Are the people who make the kids shoes, shirts, pants, pens, pencils, and school bags not trying to profit off 16 year olds? How about the grocery stores and restaurants who sell them food...are they not trying to make a profit off 16 year olds?

Why is profiting off 16 year olds such a bad thing when people in one industry do it but not another?

Some schools/school employees think they "own" the kids and therefore should be able to dictate to everyone else.  

My advice to the schools is the same here as it was earlier in this thread, walk softly and if you want to take action it should be one consistent policy.

8 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Is a junior chemistry teacher not trying to profit off of 16 year olds? They're taking home a salary earned by teaching 16 year olds. Is that any different from a media member taking home a salary from reporting or covering a game played by 16 year olds?

Is a business selling high school spirit wear not trying to profit off of 16 year olds? Does Jostens not try to profit off of 16 year olds with their sales of yearbooks and class rings? Are the people who make the kids shoes, shirts, pants, pens, pencils, and school bags not trying to profit off 16 year olds? How about the grocery stores and restaurants who sell them food...are they not trying to make a profit off 16 year olds?

Why is profiting off 16 year olds such a bad thing when people in one industry do it but not another?

By law you have to offer a public education system.  Hence you need teachers.  
Spirit wear is regulated in schools and has to follow direct guidelines, unless you are in a private school where you can do whatever you want. 
Jostens and whoever get deals to sell rings and other items because they are connected to purchasing graduation outfits.  
The rest of what you are saying is free enterprise 
I get what you’re saying, but with public schools there are always regulations.  
Based on what one of the earlier posts said, it appears they knew there was a policy but didn’t follow it.  Mentions it being a practice.  Did they take admission for the game?  
I think I saw a post where the original complaint mentioned it being a recruiting video.  C’mon now.  
In some cases it is nothing more than piling on the Cooper AD.  If they set up guidelines and it is within their rights to and policy wasn’t followed and admitted by the one fellow then what’s the beef other than to smear.

 

I guess at the end of the day, I more or less feel like the "there's no such thing as bad press" line of thinking applies to photographers and videographers, more or less. The more pictures and videos of your team and your players that get out there, the better. Is there a point where there needs some prudence used in terms of how many photographers you let onto your sideline and which individuals you're letting onto your sideline? Sure. But for the most part, if everyone is playing nice and if it's not causing a real imminent danger to anyone, then - if I'm an AD - I'm going to try to allow as many non-disruptive photographers and videographers on the field to do their thing.

Basketball is a little more tricky just because of how close quarters it can be courtside in a gymnasium. I get it where an AD may need to be a little more selective about whom they allow to be down on the court to shoot photos and videos. Most high school gyms are also relatively reasonable for people to get decent photos from the stands though, too.

Relevant to football, though, a few thoughts:

- Having a media sideline pass policy in place is a must, obviously. You can choose then how judiciously you enforce (or don't enforce) the policy, but having it in place allows you to point to your policy whenever you need to do some regulating.

- Sideline pass policy should include some language about where media members are and aren't allowed in terms of their physical locations to shoot pictures on the sidelines. And it should also have some language about how many media members the school allows on the sideline at a time. Again, that doesn't HAVE to be enforced, but if there is a need that arises and you have a whole mess of private photographers and one or more are being a problem, then you can choose to enforce it at that point in time.

- In light of lawsuit liability like the Fred Cowgill lawsuit against Trinity, if I was an AD I'd require a signed waiver in order to obtain that media sideline pass that requires the media member to wave all rights to hold the school or any entity of the school or team responsible for injuries suffered on or around the field. No fees necessary, just a waiver. Maybe see about having the school's attorney draft up a waiver that media members can sign for the entire school year in order to make for less fuss. Media members could take care of it ahead of time via email, and you could also have hard copies at the gate or concession stand or something easy where you can go make them fill one out before granting field access.

- It seems like it's a no-brainer to have physical signage in multiple locations around stadium and the field saying something to the effect of, "All media members entering the vicinity of the playing field and its sidelines are doing so at their own risk. XYZ High School and the ABC School District assumes no responsibility for any injuries suffered by members of the media on or around the playing field area."

7 hours ago, ProblemChild said:

By law you have to offer a public education system.  Hence you need teachers.  
Spirit wear is regulated in schools and has to follow direct guidelines, unless you are in a private school where you can do whatever you want. 
Jostens and whoever get deals to sell rings and other items because they are connected to purchasing graduation outfits.  
The rest of what you are saying is free enterprise 
I get what you’re saying, but with public schools there are always regulations.  
Based on what one of the earlier posts said, it appears they knew there was a policy but didn’t follow it.  Mentions it being a practice.  Did they take admission for the game?  
I think I saw a post where the original complaint mentioned it being a recruiting video.  C’mon now.  
In some cases it is nothing more than piling on the Cooper AD.  If they set up guidelines and it is within their rights to and policy wasn’t followed and admitted by the one fellow then what’s the beef other than to smear.

 

Thought the Cooper AD was also the football coach.  Makes a little difference when the coach has potentially had a year’s experience dealing with where and how this particular filmer roamed.

On 8/10/2025 at 10:32 AM, theguru said:

The term "credentialed media" is a misnomer in my opinion.  The legacy media likes to pretend they are all that and a bag of chips but in reality most media organizations make their own "credentials" and pretend they are "official."  And they have the gift of gab and will talk about some "organization" that gives them blah blah blah standing.  

I only bring this all up because I don't know how hundreds of schools are going to decide who may have access and who may not have access when there is nothing official. The second you deny some people they are going to blow your organization up online and point out numerous hypocrisies in your administration's "media policy" and make you look stupid.   And if you end up banning the "wrong people" you will have a firestorm on your hands.  

My advice to the schools is to walk softly and if you want to take action it should be one consistent policy across Kentucky and we all know that is not going to happen.

Guru;

My wife is an administrator and they are issuing a new policy on this topic beginning this season. Too many folks standing on the sidelines as "media."

2 minutes ago, Maroon Beech said:

Guru;

My wife is an administrator and they are issuing a new policy on this topic beginning this season. Too many folks standing on the sidelines as "media."

I would love to see the policy once it is complete. 

1 hour ago, theguru said:

I would love to see the policy once it is complete. 

I would also.

18 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

I guess at the end of the day, I more or less feel like the "there's no such thing as bad press" line of thinking applies to photographers and videographers, more or less. The more pictures and videos of your team and your players that get out there, the better. Is there a point where there needs some prudence used in terms of how many photographers you let onto your sideline and which individuals you're letting onto your sideline? Sure. But for the most part, if everyone is playing nice and if it's not causing a real imminent danger to anyone, then - if I'm an AD - I'm going to try to allow as many non-disruptive photographers and videographers on the field to do their thing.

Basketball is a little more tricky just because of how close quarters it can be courtside in a gymnasium. I get it where an AD may need to be a little more selective about whom they allow to be down on the court to shoot photos and videos. Most high school gyms are also relatively reasonable for people to get decent photos from the stands though, too.

Relevant to football, though, a few thoughts:

- Having a media sideline pass policy in place is a must, obviously. You can choose then how judiciously you enforce (or don't enforce) the policy, but having it in place allows you to point to your policy whenever you need to do some regulating.

- Sideline pass policy should include some language about where media members are and aren't allowed in terms of their physical locations to shoot pictures on the sidelines. And it should also have some language about how many media members the school allows on the sideline at a time. Again, that doesn't HAVE to be enforced, but if there is a need that arises and you have a whole mess of private photographers and one or more are being a problem, then you can choose to enforce it at that point in time.

- In light of lawsuit liability like the Fred Cowgill lawsuit against Trinity, if I was an AD I'd require a signed waiver in order to obtain that media sideline pass that requires the media member to wave all rights to hold the school or any entity of the school or team responsible for injuries suffered on or around the field. No fees necessary, just a waiver. Maybe see about having the school's attorney draft up a waiver that media members can sign for the entire school year in order to make for less fuss. Media members could take care of it ahead of time via email, and you could also have hard copies at the gate or concession stand or something easy where you can go make them fill one out before granting field access.

- It seems like it's a no-brainer to have physical signage in multiple locations around stadium and the field saying something to the effect of, "All media members entering the vicinity of the playing field and its sidelines are doing so at their own risk. XYZ High School and the ABC School District assumes no responsibility for any injuries suffered by members of the media on or around the playing field area."

My biggest issue with basketball was not really spectators crowding the baseline areas.  It was FAR too many cheerleaders and even more than that, it was pep-band overflow (Bass and guitar amps, electric keyboards and full drum kits.). If you can't confine it to the stands, it's not needed, especially in a HS gym.  Bigger gyms used for regionals (in the 9th (NKY) it's at Truist Arena at NKU) it's a little more tolerable because there is a fairly generous gap between the floor and the first row of fans.

I do hate when photographers sit under basket inside the free throw lane.  I think the NFHS has a rule about that but it’s up to the officials to enforce. 

5 hours ago, theguru said:

I would love to see the policy once it is complete. 

Guru;

Policy not formalized yet. Basically there would be one pre-approved contracted photographer for the yearbook, one photographer designated by the football coaching staff to take “action” photos of players. Any other “media” (local newspaper, websites, etc.) would have to be pre-approved by the AD and issued sideline credentials. Hopefully this would eliminate parents, freelance videographers or other photographers taking photos to sell online roaming the sidelines during the game. 

Couple opinions on anyone who is on a sideline for a game is pretty simple. As a coach, the sideline is sacred, but not off limits. I just want them to stay out of the way, don’t be a distraction, stay out of the water and try not to take pictures of kids on the trainer’s table after an injury.

 

Photographers: If you are a photographer/videographer from the other team, stick to your side of the field, goal post to goal post. Very few exceptions for photographers who actually take pictures of the game for all participants involved (Granger comes to mind). Most of the professionals who do this week in and week out know when and where to be, have lenses that can see into the future, and do it for the right reasons and not just one student athlete.

 

Student Photogs: It’s a big pet peeve of mine to have “student photogs” who are weaving in and out of the kids right up next to the chains, officials, and coaches to get a good shot “For the yearbook” and look at you like you are in their way, not the other way around. Then the kids on the sideline all start to pay more attention to their next pose instead of where their focus needs to be… on the game.

 

Parents: The parents taking pictures are in similar boats but at least after a talk, have a better understanding of when and where to be and why. * Parents from the other team should know there is no reason to be on the opposing side taking video but it does happen. Example: Without using names or schools we had a parent literally up and down our sideline taking video of their son during a game. After a cordial discussion the parent would not leave our side of the field. I am fortunate to have that Schools AD as a neighbor and after a phone call the issue was resolved without incident and it did not escalate. And I think that is my biggest concern, any escalation or “misunderstanding” that jeopardizes the safety of our student athletes.

FDHS just sent this out last night:

11 hours ago, Maroon Beech said:

Guru;

Policy not formalized yet. Basically there would be one pre-approved contracted photographer for the yearbook, one photographer designated by the football coaching staff to take “action” photos of players. Any other “media” (local newspaper, websites, etc.) would have to be pre-approved by the AD and issued sideline credentials. Hopefully this would eliminate parents, freelance videographers or other photographers taking photos to sell online roaming the sidelines during the game. 

This is The $64,000 Question!

1 minute ago, Hungover_in_Andover said:

FDHS just sent this out last night:

That policy is total garbage.  It glosses over the elephant in the room and assumes there is a magic, credentialed media database.  

23 minutes ago, theguru said:

That policy is total garbage.

I wonder if this post made someone panic, and threw something together while prepping for the first day of classes lol. It kinda came out of nowhere.